The Girl In The Silk Pashmina

Smoothie Recipe #1 - Mango Lassi with Raspberries and Vanilla Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Aiysha101) — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 21:42:00 +0000

Oh Summer! How I have missed thee!

After nearly two months of constant bad weather, we finally had a decent summer's day in East Scotland.

The sun was shining, there was a cool breeze and I actually managed to do a bit of lounging around in my front garden. At least, those are the only memories of summer I have this January.

To make the day just that little bit better, my sister whipped up her refreshing Mango Lassi - because you know why not?

Didn't it look amazing! It tasted even better.

It takes just a few minutes of your time to make but you won't regret it.

What you need:
1/2 tin of Mango Pulp
2 tbsp of Sugar
500ml of Milk
3 cups of Vanilla Ice Cream (and some to garnish)
A handful of Frozen berries (leave some to decorate)
A few ice cubes.
Vanilla extract (optional)
A blender machine.

Method:
1. Measure out your ingredients and calculate them depending on how many people you are serving (i.e. double the ingredients if you are).
2. Add the mango pulp into the blender and pulse until smooth.
3. Add the same amount of ice cream as the pulp ie 3 cups of ice cream so. Now blend again.
3. Put all the ingredients in the blender (milk first) and a handful of berries and pulse until there are no lumps.
4. Pour into tall drinking glasses and add a few spoons of ice cream. Add the berries on top to garnish!

It doesn't get much easier than that to create a cool and refreshing summers drink!

Love, ZAZZLES©

REVIEW: Louise Young Essential Eye Palette 2

noreply@blogger.com (Aiysha101) — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 21:41:00 +0000

When this gorgeous thing came in the post last week, I may have cried, just a little. World renowned for her brushes and makeup artistry, Louise Young and her brand are growing leaps and bounds.

My first Louise Young purchase was almost 4 years ago when beauty gurus Pixiwoo first mentioned her on their Youtube channel in a Haifa Wehbe makeup tutorial. I adored the colours used and found out it was all from the one palette. So naturally I had to purchase the palette and the eyeliner brush because you know, it was too pretty not to have. Back then like most 17-year-olds, (or, at least, the ones I knew) I didn't have £45 (for both palette and brush) lying around and so I checked reviews.

But of course, there were hardly any and at the time, the palette was the first makeup product aside from her brush range that LY sold so I was a little skeptical at spending that kind of money. But my god I am glad that I did, the palette four years on is with me everywhere I go and so as the name suggests it really is essential with 5 matte shades: neutral browns, a carbon black and a reddish-brown that are all multi-purpose.

So imagine my reaction when I find out that the legendary makeup artist released a second palette, the Essential Eye Palette 2 - the name simple and easily remembered.

Isn't it pretty!

The palette is vastly different from its predecessor; whilst the first contained very wearable neutral shades the latter is much bolder. However, the colours are still very wearable if used with fluffy shadow brush and a light hand.

As you can see from the swatches above, the colours are very pigmented as I barely needed to wipe my finger across the shadows to get major colour payoff however I noticed that the last two shades 'King Bee' and 'Drifted' took slightly more effort to get the same amount of opacity.

I'm not sure if that's because of the added shimmer (which isn't hugely noticeable and is very wearable) but aside from that the colours are very buttery and smooth. They blend like a dream and a little goes a long way.

The palette also come with a small brush that I prefer to use it with lipsticks instead hence why its not in the picture.

At £30, the palette isn't cheap but for 5 shadows that effectively works out at £6 per shadow. Compared to MAC eyeshadow pans that cost roughly £10 each, the palette is a bargain and from a well-known brand that always exceed expectations.

It is definitely worth investing in and while you're at it check out the first Essential Eye Palette on the Louise Young site!

I promise you won't regret it.

Let me know which palette's are an essential for your makeup bag in the comments below!

Love, ZAZZLES

REVIEW: Lime Crime Velvetines | Wicked, Red Velvet, Riot and Cashmere with swatches

noreply@blogger.com (Aiysha101) — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 21:40:00 +0000

Living in the UK means it's a little more difficult buying brands that are near exclusive to the states due to insanely huge price differences and import costs. But lo and behold I finally found a trustworthy beauty website called LoveMakeup.co.uk that shipped from within the UK, not only that but they had a mini sale on for the Christmas weekend!

Yep, I spent my Christmas morning buying makeup. Pretty productive of me I'd say.

Before purchasing, I already knew what shades I was interested in trying out thanks to several hours of watching beauty videos.

I bought Wicked, Red Velvet, Riot and Cashmere (I also bought Pink Velvet and Black Velvet but will review those in a later post!)

The staying power of these beauties is unreal. I've eaten hot noodles, doughnuts and more yet they still seem to retain their colour and don't smear. Each formula is a little different and so they individually differ when it comes to longevity but the colours are unbelievably opaque and the small doe-foot applicator makes it surprisingly easy to apply. You don't want accidentally overline your lips with these as it just will not come off!

It last roughly 4-6 hours without reapplying, unless you're eating really oily foods then you will see it start to crack in the inside rim of your lips. I've heard stories of how difficult it is to remove the lipsticks at the end of the day, however, I've found it is actually quite easy and not even a little bit painful for your lips if you use some baby oil on a makeup remover pad.

I bought each lipstick for £12.50 each (not sure if the promotion is still running) and while that's a little hefty for a lipstick that is not from a luxury brand, I think its a great product that actually is what its meant to be a: a matte, opaque, non-smudging lipstick.

Let me know what your experiences are with matte lipsticks in the comments below. I would love to hear them!

Love, ZAZZLESx

p.s swatches are on their way!

Charlotte Tilbury Haul - Magic Cream, Dolce Vita Palette and More!

noreply@blogger.com (Aiysha101) — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 21:40:00 +0000

(I bought other products not featured in this picture, mentioned below)

I couldn't help myself! As soon as I entered the beauty section of Selfridges's Manchester branch, and saw the shiny new Charlotte Tilbury counter I completely ruined my plans and my savings.

Living in Scotland, Charlotte Tilbury is not quite easy to see first hand unless you wouldn't mind travelling 5-6 hours to go to the nearest Selfridges & Co store or are happy to buy expensive things online before actually seeing them in person. But by happy coincidence when I was visiting family in Lancashire and I also managed to go on a day trip to Manchester.

I fully intended to visit Selfridges but only to buy the NARS Sheer Glow foundation in Syracuse. I wanted a foundation that was moisturising on my dry skin and didn't feel heavy but with fuller coverage. And so Sheerglow seemed like the best thing try after it was recommended by a relative.

However as I was coming down the escalator into the beauty department looking for NARS, I spotted the gorgeous Charlotte Tilbury counter just looking rose gold and fabulous.

I instantly steered off into its direction.

I spent roughly over an hour and a half with the beauty consultant and ended up buying everything I always wanted to try. Even my mum was suggesting I try different blushes, foundations et al from the counter. Needless to say, this sort of encouragement was not particularly healthy especially as I expected her to be the one to stop me from going a little crazy with makeup shopping.

The consultant definitely knew what she was talking about and didn't mind at all that I was taking up all of her time especially as the counter was so busy. Charlotte Tilbury products aren't cheap and while the price of the foundations are actually on par with other luxury beauty brands several other products are actually more expensive than some well-known, established cosmetic companies.

I had researched beforehand and watched several reviews on the products themselves so I definitely knew what I was looking for but I didn't expect to fall in love with the rest of the products. I had a really difficult time choosing what to buy and what to leave for another day.

I ended up buying the following:

Wonderglow (£38.50), an instant soft-focus beauty flash which illuminates your face;

Light Wonder Foundation in shade 8 (£32), a medium to full coverage foundation that looks like amazing on dry skin;

Cheek to Chic blush in Love is the Drug (£30), a beautiful rosy blush that blends beautifully, Mini Miracle Eye Wand (haven't tried this yet!),(£29);

Luxury Palette in Dolce Vita (£38), an eye palette that is perfect for any night out and of course, finally my favourite moisturiser ever, her famous Magic Cream (£70).

All of the above can be purchased on the Charlotte Tilbury website.

Full reviews of the makeup I've bought will be posted soon!

Have you bought any luxury brands recently you think are actually worth the price tag? Let me know in the comments below.

Love, ZAZZLES

Did I Mention I Love You (DIMILY #1) by Estelle Maskame | Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Aiysha101) — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 17:11:00 +0000

First of all, how stunning is the front cover of this novel?

Pretty gorgeous in my opinion.

It is rare for me to come across a novel that is both inspiring, emotional and likeable. There are a tonne of books that can be categorised in the former but lack youthful exuberance in all the seriousness.

At just 13 years old, from a wee fishing town in Scotland, Estelle Maskame started to write a trilogy that would come to be loved by millions on the online writing platform, Wattpad.

Perhaps that's why DIMILY (published by Black & White Publishing in Edinburgh) seems to hit all the right notes; its author - just sixteen herself - clearly understands some of the struggles of a young girl in the West today.

Synopsis:

It sounds a little cliche at first, a girl who falls for her step-brother? A little too Mortal Instruments but then of course everything seems cliche unless you actually give it a chance. Every story is derived from somewhere, inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes and while the blurb seems as though it gives too much away, prepare to be blown away.

It's not so much what occurs in the novel that is impressive, but the way Maskame has managed to convey the voice of the main character, Eden, that is. The narrative reflects the emotions of Eden perfectly, as the reader you start a rollercoaster ride thinking you know exactly what to expect but end up finishing the journey feeling all emotional and questioning.

The personality of a somewhat average teenager is written to perfection. The language isn't absolutely awe-inspiring but it is a very reminiscent and realistic voice of a 16-year-old girl trying to go through life whilst also being true to herself.

This novel is not just a love story, I mean it is that but not to the exclusion of everything else. There is Eden's rocky relationship with her father who seems a little too nice, her step-mother who is a little too laid back, the new friends who don't seem like friends at all and then of course there is Tyler, standoffish and reckless, a complete enigma, who seems to utterly loathe her.

Eden isn't the perfect teenager. She makes mistakes just like the rest of us and I think that is what makes this book so enjoyable to read, it is far from predictable.

It's emotional, real and ultimately about a young girl who is trying to find herself amidst the chaos. This series is definitely one to watch out for and I truly think its going to become a bestseller very quickly. If there is one novel you need to have on your summer reading list then this is a must-read!

Verdict: 4/5 stars

Why should you bother?

It's very different to the normal YA Contemporaries most people are used to.

Grab your copy for only £6.09 (normally £7.99) at Amazon.co.uk

Which YA novels are you all reading at the moment?

Let me know in the comments below.

Love, ZAZZLES©

Best Mascara of the Moment! GUERLAIN | Maxi Lash So Volume Mascara

noreply@blogger.com (Aiysha101) — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 16:43:00 +0000

Ask any girl this: which beauty product can she not live without? And the answer will always be the same.

Mascara.

It brightens up your still sleepy eyes, makes you look more sultry and just altogether improves your appearance. But the difficulty is finding a mascara that does what you want it to do. Do you want more volume? To give your lashes a little curl? Maybe longer lashes? Or just to darken them slightly?

What you definitely don't want is spidery, clumped together, flaky looking eyelashes.

And so the search for a decent mascara starts in your teenage years (I assume). Believe me I have tried several mascaras, both drugstore and high-end, hoping that one of them will volumize and thicken my lashes. Recently I tried the Clinique High Impact Mascara, which was my favourite so far; the L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes and the Rimmel Accelerator Endless Mascara. All of which are very good but leave something to be desired.

Then I stumbled across this little beauty and I fell in love!

At £24.50 Guerlain's Maxi Lash So Volume Mascara is far from cheap. And so I made sure to read other reviews and see if there were any first impression videos on Youtube. But there wasn't much info out there and so I bought the mascara, really hoping it lived up to my expectations.

Verdict: 4/5 stars

This mascara adds drama, thickens and lengthens my lashes all in one go. The key is to wipe off the excess formula before applying to your lashes. This ensures you get no clumps. You can build it up and after adding roughly 2.5 coats of mascara, my lashes still felt soft to the touch and half a day later still held some curl. It isn't super difficult to remove either, any makeup remover should do the trick!

It still isn't as black as I wanted it to be and for the price I did expect it to wow me a little more but I'm not complaining.

I'd recommend buying it from Debenhams when they have either their 10% or 20% off beauty promotions, that's what I ended up doing anyway. Trust me, it takes the sting out of the price that little bit more.

Let me know what your favourite mascaras are.

Love,

ZAZZLES©

Healthy Breakfast Idea #1 - Avocado Toast with Sliced Peaches

noreply@blogger.com (Aiysha101) — Wed, 12 Aug 2015 15:59:00 +0000

Avocado; you either love it or love to hate it. I think you can guess which category I fall into.

After finding out that Avocado has a lot of benefits for the body I definitely wanted to try it out. But I never knew how I could fit it into my regular diet or how to eat it aside from the norm.

I soon stumbled across several YouTube videos showing how I could use a breakfast staple such as toast and add some avocado to liven it up.

It is delicious!

Ingredients:

1 piece of bread
1 garlic clove
1/2 an avocado
1 tsp margarine/butter (optional)
A pinch of chilli flakes
1 peach

*Method:

Pop your slice of bread into the toaster for roughly 3 mins.
Rub your garlic clove over the now toasted bread.
Spread your margarine/butter on top.
Cut one avocado all the way around the middle, then twist. Take one-half and scoop out the contents into a bowl. Using a fork, mash the avocado till spreadable but make sure to leave it slightly chunky.
Take 2 tbsp of the mashed avocado and spread onto the toast.
Add a pinch of chilli flakes - not too many, you don't want it to overpower the taste.
Take 1 peach and cut into 2cm slices.
Cut the toast in half and add the peaches.

You can add any topping you like such as honey or bananas, whatever floats your boat.

Voila! Simple and tasty. Perfect for a quick brekkie.

*Check out Fifteen Spatulas and Popsugar Food on YouTube to see where I got the basic recipe from.

Love, ZAZZLES©

Anastasia Beverly Hills | Contour Kit in Light/Medium

noreply@blogger.com (Aiysha101) — Sat, 20 Jun 2015 15:41:00 +0000

Everyone who keeps up with the beauty industry knows about the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit. And I seriously mean everyone! It's considered the holy grail of makeup products and with everyone obsessing over it, I was curious to try it out.

Anastasia Beverly Hills as a brand is not as readily available to those of us in the UK as it is in the US. You can't test it out in your local Sephora because we don't have one of those. It's also a lot more expensive on UK websites. I know so many people who have bought ABH makeup from the much cheaper US website to suddenly being hit with huge customs fees when the post finally arrives. So it really worth all the hassle?

Everything we know about the makeup ABH produces is by reading blogs, watching youtube videos (which are probably sponsored) and our own personal experiences. After launching an incredibly successful brow makeup range, they decided to expand their range and voila, what does everyone suddenly think they need... a contour palette!

At £39, the palette is not extortionate by any means but for something that is not really necessary for your average makeup user, it does seem a little much. Unless you are a makeup artist, and this really is the ideal product for MUAs as it comes in Light, Medium and Dark palettes specifically for different skintones, you will not use every shade in the kit.

I currently have the Light/Medium Palette. Inside the kit are 6 different powders: 3 contour shades, 2 highlight shades and 1 highlight shade with a slight shimmer. The contour shades can seem a little orange on fairer skin tones but just seem bronze on my darker skin. I prefer the slightly grey shade in the bottom centre. It is the perfect contour shade. I also like to use Banana (the yellow shade) to set my under eye concealer but it is by no means a substitute for my Ben Nye Banana powder. While the powders feel very buttery, they do not seem to blend as quickly as other contouring powders I like, such as MAC Sculpt.

It takes a bit more time and effort to get everything blended in so there are no harsh lines. (But then again I am a little picky as in my humble opinion nothing beats MAC Sculpt. Nothing!) But the end result is beautiful and my cheekbones look infinitely sharper and my under-eyes a little more brighter without giving my Indian skin a dull, ashy look which a lot of highlighters do.

6 shades for one person does seem like more than needed but if you are a major makeup enthusiast like me and you like to try different looks daily, then this is a palette you NEED! But if you want to save up for something that will be not be one among many, then go for a few individual contouring products such as MAC Sculpting Powder in 'Sculpt' or the Ben Nye Cream Contour products, Illamasqua's 'Hollow' Cream contour is pretty fab too.

The Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit can be bought from Cultbeauty.co.uk or Beautybay.com

Love, ZAZZLES©

LUSH | Mint Julips Lip Scrub

noreply@blogger.com (Aiysha101) — Sat, 20 Jun 2015 15:38:00 +0000

We all know the feeling - dry, flaky lips that physically hurt when you smile, especially in the winter. The usual, temporary remedy... some Carmex lip balm on the go. While Carmex does make your lips feel baby soft, it doesn't seem to remove the dead skin that forms when your lips are chapped.

The look isn't particularly attractive when you're wearing your favourite matte red lipstick (FYI, it's MAC Retro Matte: All Fired Up) where your lips look like they would look better on Frankenstein instead. There is nothing worse than dry lips preventing you from rocking your matte lipstick which as we all know lasts a heck of a lot longer than normal, glossier lipsticks. But alas there is a cure! Or at least a temporary, more affordable one.

The LUSH Lip Scrub is the perfect on the go remedy for lips that need a bit of rejuvenating.

My favourite of the collection is Mint Julips, the other flavours are Popcorn and Bubblegum. With a consistency akin to wet sand, it is perfect for gently exfoliating your lips while not too harsh on an already sensitive part of your face.

I usually dip my finger in once, making sure to get a decent amount of product (about a pea-size) and then rub my make-up free lips with the same finger until it feels baby soft and flake-free, ready for some lippy. You can then either wipe away the scrub or lick your lips together - sounds disgusting I know, but I assure you according to LUSH the scrub is edible.

At £5.50 its not exactly affordable, at the end of the day it is just a lip scrub but considering that Lush always make wonderful products, its a no brainer. Contained in a glass jar it may seem quite fragile however I have had no problems with it whatsoever and I'm very accident prone. The product is inside a jar so not the most hygenic of packaging however it only takes a tiny amount of product to get smooth results. I highly recommend this, it is a must-have for your make-up bag.

Mint Julips Lip Scrub can be bought from Lush.co.uk

Love, ZAZZLES©